EEMI Director of Operations Dr. Mukes Kapilashrami coordinated the planning and led a session by GW’s five-person delegation to COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022. The GW session, held in the UNFCCC Pavilion in the COP27 Blue Zone, on November 17, 2022, was entitled “Eco-Smart Inclusive Governance.”
The GW session demonstrated how academic institutions and NGOs are using smart technologies and quantitative indicators to enact climate solutions. The GW delegates explained how innovation (e.g., blockchain, remote sensing, and smart city technology) is empowering diverse groups of stakeholder to achieve their climate goals based on their individual and unique requirements, available resources and infrastructure.
The session also described a path forward where stakeholders work in concert along common climate goals and resource mobilization at the grass-roots level, such as the student climate movement at The George Washington University. The event was of great significance to enhanced technology cooperation that shares the knowledge and expertise of the UNCTCN, of which the EEMI is a member, and US-based institutions with developing countries to enable replication and scalability.
The keynote speaker at the GW COP27 event was Prof. Michèle Friend who spoke on the topic “The Inclusive Road to Harmony.” Prof. Salah Hassan of the GW School of Business followed up with a presentation on “The Future of Eco-Smart Cities: Connected Living for Green Prosperity.” The next speaker was Mr. Alastair Marke of the Blockchain and Climate Institute, who presented on “– Blockchain-based Parametric Insurance to Build Disaster Resilience.”
Next, Ms. Huyam Ahmed Abdalla of the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources, addressed the topic of “ Earth Observation for Climate Planning.” Finally, GW grad student Ms. Skye Jannery-Barney presented her paper on “Mobilizing for a Greener Future.”
A recording of the session can be viewed here.
A flyer on the GW session that was broadcast internationally can be found at this link: GW Delegation Session at COP 27.